Chicken Tostadas

When my daughter asked what was for dinner, I said well it is kind of like a big nacho but different.  I have been trying to keep it interesting and one of the simple ways to keep food on table these days is too cook a whole chicken and make something with what is left over.  This is the latest way I came up with to use up leftovers.  If you don't have leftover cooked chicken, you could simmer 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in water with an onion, some garlic cloves, a pepper, and some salt until cooked through and then shred. The amount I made was just enough for 8 individual tortillas.  I put the toppings out so everyone can choose what they like.

Ingredients:
8-6" corn tortillas
1/2 an onion, finely chopped
1 poblano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
Dash of cumin
Salt to taste
1-8 oz can of tomato sauce
3/4 cup of chicken stock
The meat from 1/2 a cooked chicken, shredded
4 oz of sharp cheddar cheese, grated
4 oz of Monterey jack or pepper jack, grated
Olive oil
Canola oil (for frying)

Suggested toppings:
Diced tomatoes
Diced avocados
Shredded lettuce
Sour cream
Habanero sauce or regular hot sauce

Preheat the oven to 400. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add diced onions and saute for about 3 minutes until softened.  Add the poblano peppers and cook for an another 3 minutes.  Add the chopped garlic and saute 2 minutes more.  Season the softened vegetables with the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and stir for 1 minute. Add the can of tomato sauce and chicken stock and stir.  Add in the shredded chicken and stir until well combined.  Simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the sauce has completely adhered the to chicken and is no longer runny, you don't want to make your tortillas soggy with sauce.

Heat the canola oil in a heavy bottom pan on medium heat (the oil level should be about 1/4 of an inch).  Fry the corn tortillas until golden brown on each side and place on a metal cooling rack.  Lightly salt each tortillas just after you have finished frying it.  Top each tortillas with a healthy portion of the chicken mixture, spread to just about the edges, and top with the grated cheese.  Bake for 7 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  I chose to keep the tortillas on the metal cooling rack while they baked to make sure the bottoms didn't get soggy.  Serve with the toppings of your choice.